Product Description

Tough, ambitious and hardworking, Natalie Reyes finds herself suspended - unjustly - from Harvard Medical School, and it feels like her world has ended. But when her mentor sends her to present a medical paper at a conference in Rio de Janiero, it almost does...Kidnapped, and shot while trying to escape, Natalie is left for dead in an alley. Against all the odds she survives, but her dreams are shattered. On the other side of the world, medical genius Joe Anson is working on a serum which could save millions of lives - if only he can fend off a fatal illness long enough to complete his research. But Anson is running out of time, and those watching from the shadows will stop at nothing to ensure he fails. Meanwhile, in Chicago, disillusioned private detective Ben Callahan is struggling to identify a dead man; struggling to find an explanation for the mysterious marks on his body. But the answer could lead Ben into a conspiracy far wider than this case...Three people with no apparent connection learn the meaning of trust and betrayal as they are drawn into the web of secrecy which surrounds the fifth vial.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48784 in Books
• Published on: 2007-12-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

From the Back Cover
Natalie Reyes is unjustly suspended from Harvard Medical School and feels like her world has ended. But when her boss sends her to present a medical paper at a Rio de Janeiro conference it almost does. Kidnapped, shot while trying to escape, and left for dead in an alley, Natalie survives, but with devastating consequences. Now all her dreams are shattered.

On the other side of the world, medical genius Joe Anson is working on a serum that could save millions of lives – if only he can fend off a fatal illness long enough to complete his research. But Anson is running out of time, and those watching from the shadows will stop at nothing to destroy him.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, detective Ben Callahan is struggling to identify a dead man. But what do the mysterious marks on his body mean?

Three people with no apparent connection learn the meaning of trust and betrayal as they are drawn into a conspiracy revolving around the fifth vial…

'A tale set at the very edge of our medical knowledge, and of a thrilling heroine who confronts a theft that haunts me still. I loved it!' Tess Gerritsen

About the Author
Michael Palmer, M.D., trained in internal medicine at Boston City and Massachusetts General Hospitals, spent twenty years as a full-time practitioner of internal and emergency medicine, and is now an associate director of the Massachusetts Medical Society's physician health program. His books have been translated into thirty-five languages. He lives in Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

A thought provoking read
I think this is his best book to date.
For a book group it gives plenty of scope for discussion.
thrills on every page and could not put it down.
Unmissable!!!!